An elephant overturned a vehicle driven by two tourists of Chinese origin i.e. male and female, on the H1-7 tar road between Shingwedzi and Punda Maria in the Kruger National Park (KNP) around 06:30 this morning. The driver (male) sustained injuries and a helicopter, local doctor and paramedics rushed to the scene of the accident to attend to him immediately.

“It is not yet clear why the elephant turned aggressive, however we would like to appeal to the public to always be on the look-out for these huge animals and try not to get too close whenever they see one approaching on the road; said the KNP’s Head of Communications and Marketing, William Mabasa.

The tourists slept over at Punda Maria Camp last night and were scheduled to sleep-over at Mopani Camp today.

The injured driver was taken to Clinix Phalaborwa Private Hospital for further assistance.

Management is busy verifying the tourists' details on the system in order to contact the Tourism Safety Initiative (TSI), Embassy etc; to further assist with all the other logistics pertaining to accidents in a foreign country.

OMW!!!! Look at that car it looks like a herd of elephants went through that car not just one elephant! Those poor people does anybody know if those people are really ok? Are the drivers injurys survivable?

Camp gates open at 6 a.m., Punda to the H1-7 along the H13-2 and H13-1 can be done in 24 minutes at 50 kph without stopping even once. The precise location of this accident would therefore be a good indication of whether these Chinese were speeding or not. If it happened anywhere south of the Dzundwini turn-off, I would question the driver closely about his speed.

Johan

Article in the Beeld this morning says that the accident happened shortly after 6:30 near Babalala Picnic Spot, about 40 km from Punda; and that the tourists were on their way to Mopani.

Gates open at 6:00 in April. So at the maximum 50 km/hr speed limit they should have been no more than 25 km from Punda. To have reached Babalala so early, they must have been doing about 80 km/hr, so they were definitely speeding. Speculation maybe.... but maybe they hit the elephant before it attacked them?!

I'm just worried about the poor elephant. It would be good to know whether or not he is okay?

The damage to that vehicle is quite extensive. It wouldn't surprise me if the driver was speeding, came around a corner, saw an elephant in the road, got a fright, swerved and rolled the vehicle only then to blame the entire incident on an enraged elephant! My opinion.

Ive got to say after reading what the beelds report is that they saw the elephant charging them and then put the car off in hopes the elephant will leave them alone! REALLY! SERIOUSLY! Switch the car Off what?? If you see an elephant charging, you reverse as fast as what you can and get the hell out of their not switch the engine off and hope it goes away! I just see an elephant flap its ears and my cars already in reverse! Sorry but if that scenario is true what the beeld posted I would say that was a not so bright move on their part, my opinion

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